Jintyman

Great work there Coachman, and I sawe the same as Andy in that the building in the open country section. I do like the flow of those code 83 turnouts, they seem to look more scale to my eyes. Jinty

I have sent you a PM with a works drawing. Hope it's of some use Jinty

And only when there is an 'R' in the month!!! Jinty

Hi Father Dougal, The Halfords colour specs are still around and can be found here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/55966-raf-kinloss-mrc-halfords-paint-list-2012-version/ Regards Jinty

I think Coachman means the Ex LNWR line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau. We get quite a few steam specials up that line still, and I must try to get to see and photograph them this summer more, as it's a very picturesque line. Jinty

Thanks Coachman, I'll brush the cream over the red brick I've already painted, the red and yellow underneath should give a little difference in colour and then the washes over the top should tone it all down nicely as I'm happy with the stonework greys as these will all blend in nicely. Thanks for pointing it out before I got too far along with it. As I said before, I don't know how many times I've looked at Talyllyn's signal box, but in my mind, bricks are red, orange and yellow (and blue), never cream, hence why I painted them so! Jinty

Thanks Phil, but no I'm ok, got it all back together ok. The very end piece of the facia board mount has disappeared into the abyss that is my garage floor, but the outer trim piece will hide that All I need are the windows that we spoke of the other day please, as and when you can Jinty

Thanks Coachman, the things we don't see that are in plain sight for us. I maybe need to paint all the bricks in Pullman cream too then, then mucky them up!!!! From what I can make out, the decorative brickwork around the windows was painted, as they did have yellow bricks in S. Wales, but certainly never cream ones!!! I think some repainting is in order. I'm pretty certain that Kodak colour film of the early 1960's had a bit of a bleaching quality, but certainly not from red to cream. Excellent Brian, It will go nicely on my platforms................................... WHAT? NO PLATFORMS?????? Once I get the rodding done and the platforms can be built at the correct height!!! Hotel California????????? Thanks Phil, I purchased an engraver off Ebay for about £8, mains powered and fully adjustable for speed and depth. I did 3 of the sides as I've left the back for comparison, plus it is completely covered by trees anyway. I think it took less than 30mins to do all three sides before priming. I'll have a look through all my literature on Talyllyn and see if there are any other pictures of the box with different colours around the windows. If not I'll repaint them in cream and then weather it up as a whole by Steve's recommendations (Well adding my own washes that I use regularly!!!). A confession: The signal box is looking quite good now, but on Sunday the whole outer shell of the box was in four pieces after it dropped about 5' to the floor of the garage, splitting into four! About two hours work was involved in re-attaching the upper side (opposite the door end) and the complete front upper section. It's a good job really that the brickwork on the upper side is tatty in the real world!!!! I wasn't too impressed, but it was completely my fault for not watching what I was doing! This has now prompted me into having a bit of a move around in the garage, and bringing my spray cubicle (Home made) into a more accessible area with more lighting, instead of trying to airbrush/spray holding things with forceps or a gloved hand!!!!! This could of been something more fragile that couldn't of been put back together!!! Regards all, and thank you for your comments Jinty

The whole plan looks nice and uncluttered, which will lend itself to your magic on the scenery side. I like the fact that the level crossing gates can be left in the closed position as it will give the feeling of more space and not cramped. Excellent use of a pop rivet might I say Old Bean!!!! Jinty

Talyllyn Signal Box has got Measles!!! I've made a start on Talyllyn Signal Box in earnest and I've used a handy little engraver to give the stonework some distinct relief at the mortar lines. I went over with the engraver and then a suede brush to take down any edges. I then primered with a Halfords spray primer and over coated the primer with a Halfords clear satin varnish. I then airbrushed some Railmatch Pullman cream over the wooden areas before taking a brush to the frames and sills in chocolate and then the bricks in a brick red. Once all that was dry, I then started to pick out the stonework with a couple of different greys to add tonal differences and then I've just finished attacking the red brickwork with some yellow. Next will be some brickwork picked out in orange, to give more differences in brick colour. I'll need to go and have a look at Steve Fay's threads next to see what order I do the next bit in. Is it mortar then darker washes or washes then mortar!!!! Here are a couple of pictures of my spotty signal box!!! 47375 passes in the background with the 17:45 Three Cocks to Brecon Free St. And here is a close up showing (hopefully) the relief of the mortar courses between the stones. More very soon Jinty

No hijack at all. It's all relevant. I'm soldering my 0.7mm square rod together, I solder a short piece of 0.3mm brass wire underneath one of the sections and then solder the second section to the first with the 0.3mm brass wire holding it at the correct height. All I have to worry about is the sideways position. Jinty Edited to add that I use 185 degree solder to solder to the first section then 145 degree solder for the main join.

Thanks Nick, I'll take that as a major compliment from the GWR Guru! I just need to set about my other Panniers now to bring them up to a similar standard. It's just getting the time. Painting a signal box is underway, and pictures later will show progress hopefully. Jinty

Hi Peter, Looking good. The Peco point upgrade makes all the difference to the look of the trackwork. There is a product available that is laser cut and drops into the crossing vee to reduce the wheel drop with Peco points and makes running smoother. I think it was shown on Two Tone Green's thread 'St Davids' in the 7mm section a little while ago. Quite in-expensive for such a marked improvement. Keep up the good work, that 45 looks great by the way!!! Jinty

After a fraught day in the garage, where if anything went wrong, it did, twice over!!! Out of the 4 jobs I was trying to get done, only two got anything done on them!!! The E147 has had its bogies soaked in Acetone and the wheels stripped out of them. I am going to rebuild the bogies with Peartree Engineering wheels and fit pick-ups to all wheels for lighting, etc. The other little job was to replace the oval safety valve base on my Jinty with the correct circular one. Turned out to be a very simple job and E-viola, the new Laurie Griffin safety valve base and valves are now painted and in place. 47479 is now ready for the weathering workbench and to have its crew added, and then the bunker coaled. Not before a rumbling diesel gets finished on the weathering bench first, and then the Jinty can take its place and be attacked!!! Then we had visitors which made F1 a late starter, but I'll catch up this week!!! Jinty

I don't want to sound silly, but is the body on the right way around? I've done plenty of Heljan locos, DCC, DCC sound, etc, but never a class 47, so not sure of the wiring layout. Jinty

Hi Chris & Martyn, Here is the MSE Etch for the cranks. I've added the cover as well for your ref' Hope that helps Jinty

Looks good Phil, a pretty awesome project. Will be following now Jinty

Thanks Spams, I thought the joints were a little obvious as are the cab joints, but reducing them or replacing the chimney seemed drastic to an excellent model, so I elected to leave them be and try to take the eye away with weathering. On the other hand, I just couldn't put up with the line around the bottom of the chimney on the Dapol Jinty. After trying to fill the joint without much success, I replaced it with a casting from Laurie Griffin. I just have to finish the safety valve base replacement now, then I can set about distressing it!!! Jinty

Yes Spams, that's the lady. Here are a few pictures (Gratuitous ones even) of the crew of 9648. Driver Dylan Ap Thomas, of Merthyr shed and fireman William Owens also from Merthyr, both of whom have stayed too long in the Brecon Oggie shop. A few runs around the block needed for the driver, but Severn Mile Bank with 4 on should see to the fireman!!!! I'll hopefully post some progress on the signal box very soon. Jinty

Claudia and Jeremy Everett who model dioramas and Claudia specialises in figure painting. She has a website here: https://www.cice.space/resume And her contact details are on the website. I've just fitted two crew to one of my Minerva Panniers and will post up a couple of photos shortly. Jinty

I've purchased my square rodding from MSE, which fits the Modelu stools exactly. I've also used the etch for the cranks and compensators from MSE as well. Jinty

Very nice Brian, very nice indeed. No don't worry about the chimney pots, I'm going to get Alan at Modelu to 3D print me some for all the buildings. I have actually been doing a little bit of work on some Talyllyn things these evenings after work. I've carved the stonework of my signal box out with an engraver I've bought which has given it some much needed relief. I've also primered all the windows ready to paint in cream and then to sandwich real glass in between, then build up the window units. I've also primered the main outer walls and sealed the MDF with a gloss (thanks for the tip Steve), ready for some shading of the stonework and brickwork. I've also had a dozen or so figures painted by Claudia Everett for me, two of which have found a home in 9648. I'm very pleased with her work, and very reasonable in cost it was too. I will take some pictures tomorrow. Jinty

Best of luck with that!!!!!! Ok not too bad really, You can get the correct Reading stools from Modelu for a very reasonable amount. Then there are the cranks and the square rod for the rodding runs and the etches with the cranks & compensators on which are all available from MSE (I can provide a link if required), all at reasonable cost. You won't need much but what you do put down will give the layout a hell of a lift!!!! Jinty

Smashing Brian, just what the doctor ordered Jinty

In a word, slowly. I've been trying to find a little engraver to open out some of the stonework on the front to give it some more relief. I've now got one and been practising on various bits before jumping onto the box itself. Because it is primarily MDF I've been keeping the box in the house as it can get damp in the garage this weather, and because it's there, I forget to get it down and do bits on it. Jinty